Seidenberg continues to be 'big-game player' for Bruins

As history has long shown, certain players simply thrive on the
opportunity to rise to the occasion in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Alongside perennial Norris Trophy candidate, Zdeno Chara, Dennis
Seidenberg has fallen right into that category throughout his
tenure with the Boston Bruins.

The German blueliner’s play went widely unheralded in last
year’s playoffs, as he was overshadowed by his defensive
partner in Chara and – as one might expect – Tim
Thomas’ superhuman playoff run. However, there’s no
denying that Seidenberg’s under-the-radar contributions
helped push Boston over the top.

After leading B’s defensemen in points and the entire NHL
in blocked shots during last year’s postseason, Seidenberg
seems to be equally as impactful for the Black and Gold this time
around.

“I think he’s the guy that’s always been good
in the playoffs, even before he came to us,” coach Claude
Julien said. “He’s been known as a big-game player and
he continues to show that.”

Alongside Chara, Seidenberg has done a tremendous job of
stifling the Capitals’ top offensive threats, dishing out a
number of jolting hits to get them off their game –
especially in the case of Washington captain Alex Ovechkin.

While Chara is often the prime recipient of praise, Julien
believes he’s got two of the top postseason defensemen he can
count on.

“Zdeno is as good as you’ll get as a defenseman, but
when it comes to playoff time, ‘Seids’ isn’t that
far behind him, if at all. So, he’s been a real good player
for us, a real force (and) physical. He’s loving these kinds
of challenges and he thrives on it. You need those kinds of players
to succeed.”

Julien made sure to point out that his praise for
Seidenberg’s postseason performance is hardly a knock on the
d-man’s dependability in the first 82 games of the
campaign.

“With Dennis Seidenberg, he’s just one of
those guys in the playoffs that his whole game just comes
around,” the coach said. “We shouldn’t perceive
that as a guy who doesn’t do enough during the regular season
more than that’s a guy [that], when the chips are down and
the games are big, he just elevates his game to that level where
some players can and some can’t.

“He’s just one of those guys that can and it’s
an overall game. We talk about defensively, he defends, but like
you said, he’s a good skater, he’s got a great shot, he
can make plays and when he’s confident he’s as good a
defenseman as any in this league.”

With a dynamic duo like Chara and Seidenberg spearheading
Boston’s defense, scoring goals promises to be a tall task
for the Capitals or any other playoff foe the Bruins may take on
from here on out.